MASONRY

A “masonry” structure is formed by combining

masonry units, such as stone or brick, with
mortar.

Masonry is an important aspect of the

construction industry that utilizes manufactured
products, field-produced materials, and skilled
workmanship to produce walls and floor surfaces.
 Masonry Units

• concrete masonry units

• clay bricks
• structural clay tiles
• glass blocks
• stone
 Types of Masonry

• Clay Masonry
• Concrete Masonry
 Clay Masonry

1. Brick – used to denote solid clay masonry

or with cores not exceeding 25 percent of
the total cross-sectional area of the unit.
2. Tile – hollow clay masonry units and are
produced with core areas in excess of 25
percent.
 Clay Bricks

• Facing Bricks – are used for facing and aesthetic

purposes and are available in different sizes, colors,
and textures.
• Floor Bricks – are used on finished floor surfaces
and are generally smooth and dense and have high
resistance to abrasion.
• Paving Bricks – are used as paving material for
roads, sidewalks, patios, driveways, and interior
floors.
 Raw Materials for Clay Masonry

• Surface clays – are clays found at or close to the

surface of the earth.
• Shales – are clays that have been subjected to
high pressures and have hardened into a rock
formation.
• Fire clays – are deep-mined clays having more
uniform chemical and physical properties and
fewer impurities.
 Manufacturing Clay Masonry

“Winning” or mining is the process of obtaining the

raw clays from surface pits or underground mines.

“Tempering” process of blending clay with water in a

pugmill to produce a plastic, relatively homogeneous
mass ready for molding.

“Forming” is the process of molding.

 Forming Clay Masonry

1. Stiff-Mud Method – utilizes a clay blended with

approximately 10 to 15 percent water by weight.
2. Soft-Mud Process – is used for clays which
contain 20 to 30 percent water in their natural
state.
3. Dry-Press Process – these clays are blended with
less than 10 percent water.
 Strength of Clay Masonry

Compressive strengths of brick usually range from

1,500 to 20,000 psi.
 Physical Requirements for Building
Bricks (ASTM C62)

Max. Water Absorption by 5-hour

Boiling, %
Grade Average of Five Individual
Bricks
Severe Weathering 17.0 20.0

Moderate 22.0 25.0

Weathering
Negligible No Limit No Limit
Weathering
 Physical Requirements for Building
Bricks (ASTM C62)

Min. Compressive Strength, Gross

Area, MPa (psi)
Grade Average of Five Individual
Bricks
Severe Weathering 20.7 (3000) 17.2 (2500)

Moderate 17.2 (2200) 15.2 (2200)

Weathering
Negligible 10.3 (1500) 8.6 (1250)
Weathering
 Physical Requirements for Building
Bricks (ASTM C62)

Max. Saturation Coefficient

Grade Average of Five Individual

Bricks
Severe Weathering 0.78 0.80

Moderate 0.88 0.90

Weathering
Negligible No Limit No Limit
Weathering
 Absorption of Clay Masonry (ASTM C67)

Absorption by 24 - hour submersion (%) 

Ws 24  Wd 
x100
Wd

Absorption by 5 - hour boiling (%) 

Wb 5  Wd 
x100
Wd

Saturation coefficien t 
Ws 24  Wd 
x100
Wb5  Wd 
Where: Wd = dry weight of specimen
Ws24 = saturated weight after 24-hour submersion
in cold water
Wb5 = saturated weight after 5-hour submersion in
boiling water
 Example Problem

The 5-hour boiling test was performed on a medium

weathering clay brick according to ASTM C67 and
produced the following masses:
Dry mass of specimen = 1.788 kg
Saturated mass after 5-hour submersion in boiling
water = 2.262 kg
Calculate percent absorption by 5-hour boiling and
check whether the brick satisfies the ASTM
requirements.
 Concrete Masonry

Concrete Masonry Units (CMU) – refers to molded

concrete units used in construction to build load-
bearing and nonload-bearing walls.
 Weight Classification of CMU’s
(ASTM C90)

1. Lightweight Units – 105 pcf

2. Medium Weight Units – 105-125 pcf
3. Normal Weight Units – 125 or more pcf
 Strength Requirements of CMU’s
(ASTM C90 and ASTM C129)

Type Minimum Compressive Strength

Based on Net Area, MPa (psi)
Average of Three Individual Units
Units
Load bearing 13.1 (1900) 11.7 (1700)

Non-load-bearing 4.1 (600) 3.5 (500)

 Computation of Compressive Strength

1. Gross Area Compressive Strength – is calculated

by dividing the load at failure by the gross cross-
sectional area of the unit.
2. Net Area Compressive Strength – is calculated by
dividing the load at failure by the net cross-
sectional area.
 Example Problem

A hollow concrete masonry unit has actual gross

dimensions of 7-5/8 in. x 7-5/8 in. x 15-5/8 in. The
unit is tested in a compression machine with the
following results:
Failure Load = 250 kips
Net volume of 366.9 in3
a. Calculate the gross area compressive strength.
b. Calculate the net area compressive strength.
Raw Materials for Concrete Masonry Units

1. Portland Cement
2. Water
3. Aggregates
4. Admixtures
 Required Properties of Aggregates for Masonry

• Toughness, hardness, and strength to resist impact,

abrasion, and loading.
• Durability to resist freezing and thawing and the
expansion and contraction resulting from moisture
and/or temperature changes.
• Uniform gradation of fine and coarse sizes to produce
an economical, moldable mixture and uniform
appearance (aggregates used should not exceed one-
third of the smallest block shell).
• The aggregate should be free of any deleterious
material which would affect strength or cause surface
imperfections.
 Strength of Concrete Masonry Units

• Compressive strength normally ranges from 700

to 1,900 psi.
• Tensile strength normally ranges from 7 to 10
percent of the compressive strength.
• Flexural strength normally ranges from 15 to 20
percent of compressive strength.
• Modulus of elasticity normally ranges from 300
to 1200 times the compressive strength.
 Estimating Masonry Materials

Problem: Determine the number of 8 x 16-in. concrete

masonry units required to build a wall 8 ft high and 44 ft
long with four 3 x 4-ft openings.
 Mortar
Mortar – is a mixture of portland cement, lime, a
clean, well-graded sand, and enough water to
produce a plastic mix.
 Classification of Mortars
1. Lime Mortar – is made of lime, sand, and
water.
2. Cement Mortar – is made of lime mortar
mixed with portland cement.
 Types of Mortar (ASTM C270)
• Type M – is a high-strength mortar that has a greater
durability than other mortar types.
• Type S – is a medium-high-strength mortar which is
used where Type M is recommended, but where
bond and lateral strength are more important than
compressive strength.
• Type N – is a medium-strength mortar
recommended for use above grade in severe
exposure conditions.
• Type O – are medium-low-strength mortars for
general interior use in nonload-bearing walls
 Uses of Mortar

• Bonding masonry units together

• Serving as a seating material for the units
• Leveling and seating the units
• Providing aesthetic quality of the structure
Estimating Fire Resistance of Concrete Masonry

Problem: An 8” hollow masonry wall is constructed

of expanded slag units reported to be 55% solid.
What is the estimated fire resistance of the wall?
 Acoustic Properties of Concrete Masonry

Building codes generally regulate the amount of

noise stopped by floors, walls, and ceilings at 40 to
55 decibels of sound loss for airborne and impact
sounds.
 Absorption Properties of Masonry

Maximum bond strength generally occur when the

brick suction rate does not exceed 0.7 oz (20 g) per
minute.

For concrete masonry, water absorption may vary

from 4 lb per cu ft for dense sands and stones to as
much as 20 lb per cu ft for lightweight aggregates.
 Water Absorption of CMU (ASTM C140)
Ws  Wd
Absorption (kg/m )  3
x1000
Ws  Wi
Ws  Wd
Absorption (lb/ft ) 
3
x 62.4
Ws  Wi
Ws  Wd
Absorption (%)  x100
Wd

Where: Ws = saturated weight of specimen, kg (lb)

Wd = oven-dry weight of unit, kg (lb)
Wi = immersed weight of specimen, kg (lb)
 Moisture Content of CMU (ASTM C140)

Wr  Wd
Moisture content as a percent of total absorption  x100
Ws  Wd

Where: Ws = saturated weight of specimen, kg (lb)

Wd = oven-dry weight of unit, kg (lb)
Wr = weight of specimen as received, kg (lb)
 Allowable Maximum Water Absorption of
CMU (ASTM C90 and C129)

Weight Classification Maximum Water

Absorption, kg/m3 (lb/ft3)
(Average of 3 units)
Lightweight 288 (18)
Medium Weight 240 (15)
Normal Weight 208 (13)
 Example Problem

A concrete masonry unit was tested according to

ASTM C140 procedure and produced the following
results:
Mass of unit as received = 10, 354 g
Saturated mass of unit = 11, 089 g
Oven-dry mass of unit = 9, 893 g
Calculate the percent absorption and moisture content
of the unit as a percent of total absorption.
 Grout
Grout – is a high-slump concrete consisting of
portland cement, san, fine gravel, water, and
sometimes lime.

Plaster
Plaster – is a fluid mixture of portland cement, lime,
sand, and water, which is used for finishing either
masonry walls or framed (wood) walls.